A Most Unlikely Shielder
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: What unites people? Armies? Gold? Flags? Love? Some of these? None of these? No. Stories. There's nothing more powerful than a good story. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. Stories are like a shield. You can try to lay siege to them. You can hurt them, you may even wound them, but you cannot kill them. A shield is eternal. Narutoxharem. Vote via review! I own nothing!
1. A Most Unlikely Shielder!

**A/N: Here we go again.**

**A Most Unlikely Assassin got panned because of a twist in one chapter.**

**Excuse me for trying something new. Jeez. Consider this my answer. And enjoy your double update day.**

** REVIEWS FEED OUR ETERNAL ENGINE OF CREATION~!**

**Not that I'm forcing anyone to do anything, it just helps me churn out chapters faster.**

**Fair warning, this gets really heavy REALLY fast.**

**Now I debated long and hard about this, longer than you might think. I didn't want to go back to the events of Fate Stay Night. I've done that already for this series. Thrice now. **

**Caster. Saber. Lancer.**

**Three separate stories taking place in this realm, one for each route. Master is another matter entirely, a blend of the three. ****I have plans for Apocrypha and don't want to tip my hand there for Berserker, given its popularity. "A Most Unlikely Ruler" will likely take place there sooner or later. Still doing my research on Fate Prototype and Fate Strange Fake, but neither are complete as of this penning. A Prisma Illya story is already on the way in the form of "A Most Unlikely Archer" Thus I spent the better part of a YEAR deliberating on this one, eight months in the making.**

**Now, then****. ****Back to Zero we go. ****Once more. One last time.**

**A Most Unlikely Assassin takes place in this time period already of course, but this...this is a different beast entirely. Pardon the pun, but _unlike_ that story, this one approached Heaven's Feel levels of dark. The Servants here are different beasts those we've seen in the true route. A Most Unlikely Assassin at least keeps to the tried and true formula with some semblance of order, a mask of sorts to cover the chaos. This?**

**THIS DOES NOT. ****Think of it as a free-for-fall.**

**As another matter of clarification, this iteration of Naruto regards himself as a shield. Someone who would do whatever was right, no matter what. He never met Kaguya. He died converting Obito and killing Madara; meaning that wretched goddess never came back into the world. Never threatened any man, woman, or child with her madness. She stayed good and dead and sealed where she belonged.**

**Bit of verbatim regarding the summoning words here.**

**Game of Thrones references are obvious and I own nothing~!**

**This is an experiment of sort and will be gone in _two days_ if folks don't like it.**

**Well, I'm off to work a double shift now, looking forward to hearing from you later tonight~!**

_"__L__ove is more powerful than reason. Love is the death of duty. _

_Sometimes duty is the death of love itself. But what is honor compared to a woman's love? _

_What is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms? Or a brother's smile? __We're all human in the end, are we not?_

_We all do our duty when there's no cost to it. __Honor comes easier then. __But sooner or later, in every man's life, there comes a day when it is not easy. _

_Find the strength to do what needs to be done. __Kill the boy, and let the man be born. Swing your sword. Raise your shield. Stand fast. Fight. For today. For tomorrow. For the light. FIGHT!"_

_~A Shield._

**Your Shield**

_What unites people? _

_Armies? Gold? Flags? Love?_

_Some of these? None of these?_

_For me? Stories. T__here's nothing in the world more powerful than a good story, I've found. Nothing can stop it. No enemy can defeat it. A tyrant's fist cannot strangle it. You can try to lay siege to it. You can try to burn it, you may even wound it, but you cannot kill it. You see, to kill a story, you must kill the people telling it in the first place. That, my friend, is quite impossible. Stories live on in legend. Through time immemorial. They live in tales told 'round the campfire. In the hearts and minds of men and women; of all peoples large and tall, great and small._

_The world is full of stories. They are what me make of them._

_Some could say the same of a shield; at the end of the day its not all that different from a good story._

_Shields protect us. Stories embolden us. They inspire us, make us strive to be something-someone!-more than we are._

_What is a sword without a shield? __What do you see when you imagine such a thing? Something that protects people. A bulwark against danger. That's the long and short of it. But a shield isn't something you simply use to block an attack. A shield isn't some flimsy piece of wood or metal or even flesh. Its not just something that you tie onto your arm, grip with your hand, and hold onto for dear life. A shield is so, so, SO much more than any of those things. I learned that when I was small._

_What is a shield then?_

_A person or thing providing protection. An ideal. Be it a man or a woman, one or many, any who stand fast in the face danger. That is a shield. Someone who fights to protect those near and dear to them; not only from those who would seek to harm them, but from their very selves. Shields can also lash out and give you a good smack if you're not careful. Yes, at the end of the day a shield is a conceptual truth. The physical may bend, may break even, but nothing can destroy the ideal, nor what stands behind it._

_THAT is a shield!_

_True shields do not bend! True shields do not break! True shields stand fast! No matter the foe. No matter the cost. I knew I had no chance of surviving. I knew my friends would mourn me, yet I threw myself into battle anyway. Perhaps that makes me foolish, but strategy was seldom my strong suit. Ha! I would've made a poor Hokage with that mindset. Doesn't matter now I suppose. Sasuke's probably scowling at me now. At the very end, I managed to one-up him after all. Ohhh that must've stuck in his craw. He never would've killed Madara without me._

_I did not lose._

_I did not falter._

_I went with a smile!_

_Standing! With a thousand wounds in my chest! With laughter on my lips and my hands around that bastard's throat! I perished with no regrets; even with both arms battered and my legs all but tattered, I kept fighting! I endured blows that would've killed others and kept going, kept moving! I did the right thing, no matter the cost! I sacrificed myself for the new generation, and gave my life for them! When everyone else fell or faltered at the last, I bulled onward. I went into that dark abyss willingly, so that the final blow could be struck against Madara, so that he would be destroyed, that his madness would never threaten the world again!_

_I was content with that; dying to keep the world safe._

_I never expected my exploits to become a legend, you know? I gave up everything for peace, and asked for nothing in return. For my service, I died in the arms of the woman I loved. Her hands in my hair, her lips on my forehead, h__er words and tears comforting me in my final moments as her tresses tickled my nose. There was no pain at the end. Like falling asleep. I ask you, is there any better way to go? I think not. __I like to think that my death cemented peace in my time. Hmm. I'd like to see it for myself, but I suppose that's the wish of a boy..._

_I died as a lived. __With a smile._

_Regrets? I have none._

_I am a Shield._

* * *

_(...0o0o0...)_

* * *

_Someone was playing them._

It was the only logical explanation that made a lick of sense, but try as he might, Kiritsugu Emiya couldn't see _how._

In hindsight it was almost...strange. Dozens of catalysts had simply gone missing out of the blue, or failed to materialize when sought after by Masters and magi alike. Nor was he the only victim in this matter. The other Masters he knew of were all reeling from this unexpected development, each scrambling for new pieces on a board that had suddenly been smashed askew overnight. They'd either been stolen, or another power-perhaps magical-was at work here. He was inclined to believe the latter. It made sense that someone would seek to sabotage others and thereby deny them their influential pieces, but why now? And why so many?

Thankfully there was a silver lining in this matter.

Although the Einzberns hadn't been able to secure the sheathe as a catalyst for him, they _had _been willing to part with another; though not without a great deal of prodding on Iri's part. Even now the Magus Killer didn't wholly understand why old man Acht was so loathe to surrender it. Supposedly it once belonged to man who gave his life to save his world. Surely a self-sacrificing hero like that would see the wisdom of his wish. _Well._ They'd know in a moment wouldn't they?

In this war there could only be victory or defeat.

Without a catalyst the Grail would, in theory, summon whomever was closest to their given Master's mindset. In Kiritsugu's case, one who desired peace above all else. He wasn't willing to leave that to chance. His idea of peace was more...skewed than most, so he might well summon a disaster without a catalyst to stabilize the ritual. Or worse, someone who clashed with his ideals so utterly as to turn against him. So long as this new catalyst did its part-so long as he didn't summon a troublesome Servant-he wouldn't have to worry.

"Is a simple ceremony like this really enough to summon a Heroic Spirit?"

Irisviel's gentle inquiry reverberated through he cathedral, echoing hollowly in his ears. The voice of his wife was enough to jar the hardened killer from his thoughts

He took a moment to glance at the item in her hands.

Such a small little thing.

"Surprisingly, yes." Kiritsugu conceded with a nod, painstakingly tracing the newly created magic circle before them. "The summoning ceremony doesn't require an elaborate evocation on my part. Its the Grail that does the actual summoning. As a Master, my job is to anchor the Heroic Spirit to this world once it appears and give it enough mana for it to take physical form." There. Everything seemed to be in order for the most part. If there were any imperfections in his design they were so minute that he couldn't make them out. Perhaps he should scrap it and start over-no, there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

Hmm.

Now or never, then.

With a grunt, the Magus Killer rose and beckoned to his wife.

"This should be good." he declared. "Iri, place the relic on the altar. Our preparations will then be complete."

Gingerly she laid the broken headband upon the surface as instructed, pausing just long enough to make certain it wouldn't tumble off of its own accord. Kiritsugu lingered a moment longer, considering the battered piece of metal. Just what was this going to summon? Even now the metal felt warm to the touch; merely brushing his fingers against the rusted plate and the cloth behind it set his fingers tingling. Almost as if it were alive. Odd indeed...

Still, with his beloved safely out of harms way, he could begin.

Steadfastly he approached the altar, and by proxy, the catalyst. Blood spilled from his opened palm into the circle. Five times. Stirred by his life essence the circle began to glow; a faint blue radiance resonating from within. Steeling himself, Kiritsugu raised his arm and began to chant. This was it. The moment his quest would begin. The Servant he was about to summon would play a crucial role in his plan to come; just not the role they might suspect. Regardless, concentration was key. He couldn't afford to slip up now. The slightest distraction might prove devastating.

_"I hereby swear." _he intoned solemnly,_ "I will be all that is good in this eternal world."_

Stirred by his words the azure glow began to blaze, burning ever brighter.

_"I shall be the disposer of all evils in this eternal world!"_

A great gale kicked up, ripping through the room.

_"Now come forth from the circle of binding..._

The light seared through his very soul.

_...guardian of the Heavenly Scales!"_

Something on the other side must've responded to his summons; for circuits scorched his skin and sent stars shrieking before his vision.

_"Well, alright then."_ the voice of a young man hummed pleasantly through the now-forged link. _"I'll hold you to those words."_

He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth as the light began to change.

In place of that gentle blue glow a righteous crimson radiance enveloped the room, taking on the likeness of a great beast's skull with fangs bared at the world. A kitsune-some kind of fox-Kiritsugu realized as he gaped upward, watching spellbound while that vicious vermilion visage loomed large over him, fangs bared. For a fleeting moment the assassin wondered if this creature would swallow him whole. He held his breath. Then with a strange sucking sound that ethereal _thing _vanished, sucked back into the smoke as though it had never been. There one moment and gone the next, replaced by roiling red smoke.

"Servant, Shielder! At your service!" a chipper voice broke through the arcane haze as its owner strode into view. "Nice to meet you~!"

He stood tall and strong, bright blue eyes framed by whiskered cheeks and a messy mop of blond hair. He looked...young. Very young, all things told. A young adult at best. Draped in gold and black -or was that a shroud of some sort?-he stood tall and proud before them, clutching a long black staff forged of some unidentifiable material in his right hand. Emiya wasn't much impressed with him. He'd expected, well...so much more than this boy. While the Servant's arrival had been nothing short of grand, his presence left much to be desired. And the name he'd given...

"Shielder?"

He'd been hoping for a Saber. What class was that? He'd never heard of it before.

Perhaps sensing his concern, the Servant tilted his head.

"Just as I said. I _am _a shield Master." blue eyes twinkled merrily at him utterly without deceit or guile. "Nothing more, nothing less. My purpose is to guard you; to make certain you wish is granted. I have no other desire at present. If its my true name you're after, then you can call me Naruto." his staff clicked softly against the ground and that pearly white smile flashed out at him again. "Don't worry! I'll be sure to guard you well! You'll find no one more loyal than me!"

"We're glad to have you then, Shielder." Iri hummed. "But I'm the one you'll be guarding, for now."

"Oho?! Thank you!" The blond perked up at Irisviel's gentle commendation and Kiritsugu found himself reminded of an eager puppy straining at its leash. "I won't let you down!" Had he a tail, he suspected it would've been wagging full speed by now. Though his wife chuckled, the Magus Killer groaned quietly at his ill luck.

Ah.

_Ahhh._

Shielder was one of_ those,_ then.

Far too earnest by half, but he didn't seem the scheming sort. That was...good? Wasn't it? Loyalty was something to be admired in any warrior, but anyone who clung to the idea of honor and ideals-as this one seemed to do-was fundamentally incompatible with him. Only time would tell if he could come to terms with this new...asset. He couldn't think of him as a person. Rather, he refused to. He was just another piece to be maneuvered on the ugly board that was the Holy Grail War. Friendship and attachment meant nothing when this Servant's sole purpose was to fight.

Well, perhaps he could make use of his strength, once he learned _what it was._

"Can you fight?" It hadn't been meant as a challenge initially, just a simple inquiry yet Shielder bristled like a struck porcupine all the same.

"How would you have me fight?" came the instant retort.

"However you wish." Kiritsugu shot back.

Reconnaissance would be ideal outside of battle, but one couldn't expect a lone Servant to conduct themselves as such. He could've explained as much to his new ally but chose not to; rather, he opted to test his temper instead. He wanted to know the measure of the man before him; before he chose to entrust him with any sort of task. Nothing personal, it was just business. He wouldn't reply.

He hadn't expected said jab to rile him that much.

Anger flashed through those merry blue orbs at this depreciation, but no caustic retort came to defend his honor, nor did the Servant make any attempt to rebuke his Master for that painfully disparaging remark. Instead, that same strange smile flashed out again and several events occurred at once. Shielder laughed, something pulled _hard _on Kiritsugu's circuits, and he dropped to a knee as white smoke flooded the cathedral. All this in a single breath.

When it cleared-when Kiritsugu recovered enough of his breath to stand-he found himself surrounded by a small army.

Irisviel gasped.

In place of the single Servant stood tens, no, _dozens _of the same Servant standing around him in a stoic semicircle. The sight stole her breath away. Or perhaps that was her concern for Kiritisugu, or the fact that her dear husband was clearly in pain, his aching magic circuits protesting the sudden and abrupt waste of prana. Regardless, they found themselves at something of a loss to respond. In more moderate numbers they might well be able to comprehend such a feat. But for this, no, through this...it proved baffling.

One such copy offered the magus killer hand. Then another. And another. Another. Each mirrored the movement miraculously, an army moving with one purpose.

"Satisfied?" there could be no mistaking the smug satisfaction lurking behind those sly smiles. "Or would you prefer another demonstration?"

After a long, ponderous moment, the Magus Killer accepted his proffered palm. "Glad to have you with us, then."

Naruto beamed back. "If you make me do something particularly dishonorable, I may have to kill you."

Kiritsugu arched a lone eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Shielder's smile didn't waver at all.

_How little they knew._

**A/N: Gods this broke me a little, writing this.**

**So we've got a Pure!Naruto who holds to the idea of a shield as a concept as a drowning man would a raft. More defense than offense, but that same defense is deadly. An ideal. He isn't afraid to die, and by his own admission, his "wish" is simply to see how his world fared after he gave his life up to protect it. He's not incredibly strong like some of his other counterparts, but in the same vein he's not afraid to give someone a good smack if he feels they're being foolish.**

**He also has the potential to absolutely batshit insane _if_ someone makes him break his ideals. **

**We're talking Alter levels of dark, moreso than his Avenger counterpart. ****Lets pray it doesn't come to that, eh?**

**Oh, and before I go, there will be a Saber variant here of course. But not who you expect. The preview is a big sodding hint. It also means one class is going to get tossed in this war, seeing as we have a Shielder.**

**So lets clarify for all the confused readers out there:**

**Kiritsugu = Naruto (SHIELDER)**

**Tokiomi = (ARCHER)**

**Kirei = ?**

**Ryunosuke = ?**

**Waver = ?**

**Kayneth = ?**

**Kariya = ?**

**As ever, open spots are open votes~! Fire away with your reviews!**

**Again, this'll be gone in _two days_ if folks don't like it.**

**So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly?**

**And enjoy the previews!**

**Potential ones at that!**

**Feel free to vote!**

**(Previews)**

_Battered and bloodied, Shielder calmly raised his staff. __"You shall not pass."_

_Still the enemy came. __And the staff came down._

**_"YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!_**

_The ground burst._

* * *

_"Hello! I'm Saber!"_

_Naruto's jaw clicked open. __Kiritsugu's joined him a heartbeat later. This girl...had walked right through their front door._

_"Oh! That arm! You must be Shielder, then!" To their dismay the girl in the white dress only beamed at them and curtseyed. "Its so nice to meet you! Shall we duel, then?"_

_The Servant in question palmed his face. "I__ can't do it, Master. She's too pure."_

* * *

_"Tis I, Oda Nobunaga! Surely you recognize me?!"_

_Irisviel arched an eyebrow. "Do you know her, Shielder...?"_

_Naruto clicked his tongue in mild annoyance, raising an arm. "N__ever seen her before in my life."_

_Red eyes widened with genuine outrage. "You wound me, Naruto! How am I to interpret this betrayal?!"_

_"I don't even know who you are!"_

_Archer hissed. "You will~!"_

**R&R~!**


	2. Tainted Ideals (Interlude)

**A/N: *EDIT***

**I guess folks don't like this. That hurts.**

**Almost no reviews that AREN'T flames or threats.**

**Look at the reviews if you don't believe me. LOOK. SEE.**

**Now you know why I'm so upset. This feels like work now, and when I get shredded, cursed, and threatened for it...**

**...why am I doing it at all?**

**Here we go again.**

**A Most Unlikely Foreigner got panned because of a twist in one chapter. *sigh***

**Excuse me for trying something new. Jeez. Consider this my answer.**

** REVIEWS FEED OUR ETERNAL ENGINE OF CREATION~!**

**Not that I'm forcing anyone to do anything, it just helps me churn out chapters faster. I've been on a DAILY update spree-even updated four stories at once in one day, and I've churned out eleven chapters for already written stories in seven days alone. Its amazing what you can do when you have people supporting you and offering you new ideas on a daily basis. And for that, I thank each and every one of you.**

**Alas, for every kind soul on this site there are...detractors.**

**Many of them have valid points that I've learned to heed over my tenure on this site.**

**You'd be surprised, but I get death threats and insults fairly regularly. Its rather depressing, really.**

**Someone said that I'm acting too proud, another that I'm a sad sack of *BEEP* a third once claimed I think I'm gods gift to mankind. Me? No, no, no. Nothing further from the truth. I'm just a man. Just a writer. ****Just someone who enjoys writing stories. Reviews are my one and only form of payment these days. ****They make my day, they really do. I'm not begging for them, just saying that they make feel better. ****I don't do commissions, but I've been known to listen to the odd request.**

**Sadly, I have responsibilities these days.**

**So here we are. Thank you for your patience and time.**

**I'll do my best to entertain you all until my last breath. For I am a writer.**

**And that is what writers do, is it not? Their duty is not to themselves, but to others. **

**As to mine...I want to use this gift to make people happy. That's about the long and short of if. Now, then. Onward~!**

**On another note, you REALLY don't want to see this Naruto get corrupted. The purest ones are always capable of the worst when angry...**

_"You can make me break my word three times, indeed, that much is true._

_But if you use those Command Spells, I'l be coming after you."_

_~A Shield._

**Tainted Ideals (Interlude)**

_"You want me to do what?"_

Kiritsugu didn't even deign to look at him; somehow that rankled Naruto more than his words ever could. Instead he kept his gaze fixed firmly on the snows surrounding the Einzbern manor. Despite the bitter chill lurking in the air it was actually a clear day, not so much as a cloud in sight. By all rights, one could call it a pleasant day. It had _been _one, too. Yet the instructions he had just been given soured it somehow. For all his attempts to keep the smile affixed to his face, Shielder felt it slipping, sliding down into a frown.

"I don't need you to guard me." he repeated, the words little more than a flat monotone. "Stay with Iri."

"I have no problem with that," Naruto retorted, "Given that she'll be lending me energy. But at the very least, let me leave a clone with you-

_"No." _

Something about that word-the way he said it-pricked Shielder's suspicion.

He was hiding something; he just knew it. But not what.

And by the log, that _bothered_ him.

"Alright, I'm calling bullshit. What the hell's wrong with you?" when he only received silence for his concern, a vein began to pulse in his temple. "You've been nothing short of outright hostile to me since we got here-while I haven't done jack all to piss you off. Just what crawled up your ass and died?"

Kiritsugu didn't reply.

Exasperated the blond stomped around him until they stood face-to-face.

"Are you _trying_ to die, Master?"

Those dead eyes finally rose to meet his.

...what makes you think that?" he inquired softly.

"I am a killer just like you," the Shinobi-turned-Servant began slowly, choosing his words with great care. "I make no secret of that. Men like Kakuzu and others, they died as a direct result of my actions. I learned to live with that knowledge. Honor meant little in my line of work, but I tried to live by a code. Do you have a code, Kiritsugu? Do the ends justify the means? Are you that desperate to keel over?"

Emiya flatly refused to answer him once more.

Fine. Be that way would he? "Do you know how I became a Servant?"

"No," the older man snorted, "But somehow, I suspect you're going to tell me."

"I lived and died as a shield for others, and for my resolve, I passed on in the arms of the woman I loved," Shielder said the words with such utter conviction that the Magus Killer actually _twitched._ "My body bled from a thousand wounds, but I still clung on somehow, until she found me. She held me close and kissed my forehead. She sang softly to mas as I died. Her face was the last thing I saw." he paused, sucking in a sharp breath. "I could tell you everything about her. Who she was how we met, the color of her eyes and the sound of her voice." a wistful expression danced in those blue orbs. "I can see her right in front of me now, Master, she's more real than you are."

"Does this story have a point?"

"You're right. We could spend all day trading stories." Naruto clicked his tongue in mild admonishment. "Nothing makes the past a sweeter place to visit than the prospect of imminent death. My _point _is this. I don't mind dying again if its for a good cause, that's all I could ever ask for. You want peace. I can see that much. That's why I answered your call.

_"However."_

And then those blue eyes burned a baleful red.

"I warn you, Emiya Kiritsugu, if you make my break my beliefs, if you turn me cruel, you will regret it."

The elder Emiya considered him for a moment. "Are you threatening me?"

"No." Naruto repeated, planting his feet in the snow. "I'm warning you. You can make me break my word three times, indeed, that much is true. Trample my pride, and kill your enemies for you. But if you use all of those Command Spells frivolously, I'l be coming after you. That would make Iri-chan sad, but even an unrepentant bastard like me has some standards. So...just don't. Lets win this war fair and square, eh? I'll try to stay out of your way, and you'll stay out of mine? Deal?"

No answer again.

"Oh, fuck you and your silent treatment!" he flung his arms and turned to leave.

"Fight as you wish." Emiya's voice rose at his back. "And I'll fight as you wish. Does that sound fair?"

Naruto paused, pursed his lips in a thin line of displeasure, and nodded in agreement. So long as he didn't _see _any atrocities outright, he could stomach them. For now. Bah. Who was he kidding? Their agreement was only a stopgap, a bridge built of rotten driftwood that would collapse under pressure. But it would do. For now. He'd cross-or burn-that bridge when it came to it. He would give up his ideals. Nor would Kiritsugu. They might as well admit _something _was going to happen down the line, but not what.

"Fine." he said at last. "Have it your way."

And he stalked away.

For a time, his footsteps were his only companion; the muted sound of snow crunching beneath his boots. He walked aimlessly and without care, an irritated gait taking him the length of the mansion in counter clockwise fashion. One of his patrolling clones passed him by and-perhaps sensing his distress-the doppelganger tread carefully.

"Let me guess. You didn't get along?" it asked.

That drew a rusty chuckle from Shielder. "Very much so. Anything to report?"

Oddly enough, his clone fidgeted. "Well, we saw _something _but the boys chased it off before it got too close. Dunno what it was."

His shoulders tensed at the possibility. "Was it a Servant?"

The clone offered a shrug. "I...don't think so? We didn't get a good look at it. We'll be ready if it comes back, though." it smacked a fist into its palm. "Count on it."

"As you were then." He kept walking.

Tomorrow they would leave all this behind and head to Fuyuki. Separately, if Kiritsugu was to be believe. He and Irisviel would take the first flight at dawn and Emiya would arrive several days later. By his reckoning, it was imperative that the other Masters thought _she_ was the one commanding Naruto, not him.

In time, he began to think, to dwell on what he'd just been told. This felt...wrong. Terribly, horrible wrong. As though he stood on the precipice of change.

And one good hard shove would send him plummeting into the abyss.

He didn't much like the instructions he'd been given, but he would obey them. His place was at his Master's side, and while he understood the concept of using Irisviel as a decoy, something in his soul screamed that this was wrong; that Kiritsugu's seemingly casual, almost careless disregard of the war to come was dangerous' that he should investigate his Master further. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do it. For if he did, he might learn something. He might not like what he found. This felt reckless. Did he not care that he was alienating him? Was he trying to? His behavior was such a stark contrast to _her _that he didn't know what

As such he wasn't at all surprised when his feet eventually carried him to the garden.

Even less so that he found Irisviel there.

He wasn't sure why he'd come here, only that he had.

She sat upon a stone bench, humming softly to herself as she thumbed through her book. Though the snows blanketed the world around them, her sole concession was a white coat. It suited her. She looked every bit the angel that she was, and thus he waited, loathe to interrupt her. Of course, that lasted all of an instant before she looked up and noticed him. He hadn't exactly been silent. The small smile she granted him served as yet a second reminder; this was no simple homonculus, this was a person, someone who could absolutely not be allowed to die.

"Well, don't just stand there." she said. "Come. Sit with me."

Naruto blinked.

Once.

Thrice.

"Well, alright then."

Nope. No dice; for all his anger and resolve he just couldn't bring himself to refuse her humble request. There was just something about Irisviel von Einzbern that made her damnably hard to refuse. In moments, he'd slid into the space beside her. She granted him a passing pat on the shoulder and closed her book, focusing the whole of her attention on him, beaming at him as though he were an old friend.

"How are you feeling?"

Naruto blinked again before he managed to master himself.

"Well enough, I guess. My clones chased off an intruder. They didn't get close."

She considered his words before tilting her head, leaning into his vision when he wouldn't look at her.

"You talked with Kiritsugu, didn't you." It was not a question. What was it about this woman that allowed her to see through people?

_...yes."_

"And? What did he say?"

His lips puckered as though he'd bit into a lemon.

"That bad?"

His grimace deepened _"That bad."_

Bell-like laughter greeted him as her legs swayed against the bench. "Was it really?"

"I don't understand him." Naruto grumbled, palming his face to hide the frustration lurking there. "He's just so damn cold all the time. He barely even smiles. Can you believe that? And you!" her nonchalant smile didn't waver in the least when he turned that confusion on her. "You're going into battle with me. Its going to be dangerous. Yet you aren't concerned either. Its like you know something I don't. Why are _you _so nonchalant about this, in particular?"

Irisviel paused.

For a fleeting moment, she almost considered lying to Shielder. He was a good person, but he was too...pure. He preferred to lead with words rather than this fists, but he didn't know what to do when his ideals were so easily forsaken by those around him. Least of all those he called his allies. She could see that he was clearly struggling with that. He deserved the truth, at least. While she couldn't tell him of Kiritsugu's past that the pain that had brought him to his point, there was another secret she could reveal. One that might-hopefully?-make the Servant understand why they were doing this.

So she told him.

And he recoiled. Harshly.

_"You're going to become the Grail?!"_

"After a few Servants die, yes." the young homunculus exhaled softly as she saw the horror flashing across his face. "I felt you deserved to know that, at least. If we had managed to find Avalon, there might be a way to slow the degradation, but even then there wouldn't be any real pain, so-

Naruto seized her by the hands and she jolted.

"But that's...just too sad! How can you be alright with this?!"

The feverish light burning in his eyes told her all she needed to know.

She'd made a mistake. Though she'd said the words in an attempt to reassure him.

Instead she'd she'd only made it worse. Much worse. Shielder looked like he was about to _roar._

"You can't just throw your life away like that!" his palms gripped her fingers painfully. "You have a family!"

His words plucked at Iri's heart strings-at something she'd desperately buried a long time ago-but she stubbornly swallowed her will to live and composed her face into a serene mask. No, she told herself. It was too late to have second thoughts; to doubt herself now would undermine everything. She'd told herself this time and time again in her darkest moments.

_There must be another way._

A small, ugly, miserable part of herself cried out and she tried to smother it again. But it-her instincts-wriggled free and fought back, clawing at her._ I don't want to die. I want to live. I want to live and keep living._ She'd had a good life, all things considered. She had a husband who loved her, and an adorable daughter. There was no point in wanting more. To try and grasp at such would only be greedy of her...no matter what she might think. Her Servant was staring at her now, eyes hooded, jaw set in a scowl.

"Didn't you die the same way?" she regretted the words instantly.

"Yes! But that's different!" Naruto _did _roar this time and she fought down a flinched at his snarl. "I had nothing to lose! I was an orphan! You have a family! A daughter! A husband! And you'd just...throw it away?"

She regarded him with a small, knowing smile, one that felt forced. "I've made peace with dying, Shielder. This is for Kiritsugu's dream."

His hands turned cold in hers.

"He _know_s?" the words escaped in him a tortured croak. "He's alright with it?!"

She could see the sky darkening, feel the wind picking up with his distress. "You have to make peace with it-

_**"I WILL NOT!"** _He tore himself from her, jolted upright, and the world seemed to _shake _around them. "What kind of dream is that then, if it ends with your death and leaves your daughter without a mother?! Did you even think what that would do to her if you and Kiritsugu died?!" sharpened teeth bared themselves in a livid shout. "That's no dream! Not for her! Its a nightmare!"

"Even so, if it brings peace-

_SLAP._

Naruto's open palm cracked across her face in a vicious slap that stole the words away like so much bitter cold. It didn't so much hurt as it did sting. Irisviel felt rather than saw her head snap to the right; and then there was pain; an angry red throbbing taking up residence on her cheek. Aghast, she turned to look up at him. His right arm was still extended, still trembling with effort. He'd struck her, she realized. Sense struggled to reassert itself, to no avail.

"You blind, bloody fool." His words were the most bitter whisper, and they shook Irisviel to her core. "Wake up! This dream...isn't peace at all!"

In a shower of golden dust he vanished.

A tiny fracture etched itself across the impenetrable wall of his resolve as he drifted away. Then another. Another. And another still. Irisviel called out to him, but he didn't hear her. He didn't want to. Didn't turn back to see her tears. She was going to die. Kiritsugu was going to die. They were all but resigned to it. His ideals clashed violently with his own dream. He had to save people. But he had to protect them, too. He had to obey them. The hypocrisy of it choked him. Irisviel was good. Irisviel was pure. She was a good wife, a good woman, and a good mother, but she was also a good host for the Grail.

Which meant she had to die.

No. No, no, no.

NO!

His very soul spewed vicious vitriol at the idea and he nearly did something he'd regret. He materialized again without thinking and stalked away, heedless of the brewing storm. It was as much madness enhancement as mental pollution, all born from his own will in life. But he couldn't save her, could he? Irisviel was going to die. Perhaps not now, perhaps not for some time yet, but she would. She would become the Holy Grail and all traces of herself would vanish, swallowed up by that golden gilded cup everyone was fighting for. There was nothing else he could think of.

_If I can't save someone, then who am I? No, what am I? If I can't**...I can't...**_

Someone tugged at his sleeve. Baffled, he looked down.

Familiar red eyes gazed back at him.

"Are you a Se...Sewvant?"

Instead of an enemy, he found himself looking at a child, old enough to speak, though not perfectly. Gods that little lisp was adorable. A tiny, pale little thing that looked so much like her mother. She was small, barely coming up to his waist. Large red eyes set within a cherubic visage looked up at him with wonder, framed by a curtain of pale hair. Clad in a purple coat with a matching hat that somehow made her even more adorable, she was the epitome of cute. The sight of her stilled his raging heart and brought some semblance of sanity crawling back.

Despite himself the whiskered warrior couldn't help but smile again.

Taking a moment to master himself, he crouched before her. "I've seen you in the halls before. You're Illya, aren't you? How did you find me?"

"I just did; 'cuz I saw you walking, and well..." she swayed in place on her heels. "You looked sad. Mama says people shouldn't be said. They should be happy."

Naruto blinked.

"Yeah," he agreed.

Her little head bobbed sagely.

"You're going to protect mama and papa, right?"

Naruto wanted to say yes. To promise he would. And yet.

And YET:

Static snarled through his brain before he could think to answer, flashes of memory-sights and sounds and smalls that didn't belong in this era-crashing over him like a great wave to drown the world out. He smelled ash on the wind. He heard screams shake his ears. He felt his body burning, but when he looked down, his hands were hale and whole. Naruto gripped his head and grit his teeth, willing this strange sensation away. A faint numbness persisted in his head and he stubbornly shook it off to find Illya clutching at his hand.

"Are you alright?"

No. He wasn't. Not at all.

And so he hatched a plan.

"Would you like to play a game?"

Illya's face lit up. "Ooh! I love games!"

"Right, then." he purred. "Here's what we're going to do...

He told her what he intended in no uncertain terms and an impish smile blossomed on her face. Of course it did. Illya was very much a child and she _adored _the idea of pulling one over on her parents. He helped her pack a series of snowballs into near-perfect spheres, smiling all the while. Kid deserved the chance to enjoy her short little life...before it all went wrong. She deserved a few good memories. So he gave her a simple set of soft instructions and she took off at a run. Naruto watched her go, snowballs in hand, and followed in astral form.

He counted down the seconds.

One.

Two.

Three.

He knew something had gone terribly _right_ when Irisviel's silence piqued into a yelp.

_"Illya?!"_

A delighted cackle answered.

Of course, _that_ brought Kiritsugu running. "What's going on?!"

Nevermind the fact that both Illya and Iri were laughing and flinging snowballs at one another by now, that first yelp had drawn his attention all the same. All part of the plan. He quietly materialized and created a pack of clones, each of whom promptly went to work creating as many said balls of snow as they could.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The original Naruto stepped around a tree and whipped an arm forward the moment his Master stepped into view.

By all accounts each was a good throw; perfectly aimed and adjusted so as not to be lethal, yet packing more than enough force to _sting._ It got the job done. In a single smooth movement he let three snowballs fly. To his credit, the Magus Killer managed to dodge the first out of sheer instinct. The second scraped his cheek. Ah, but the third curved...!

That final snowball sailed into the mage's face with a wet smack and knocked him right on his arse.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The great Magus Killer, silenced by a snowball.

All the world fell still.

Kiritsugu stood.

Slowly.

With an effort, he wiped the slush from his face. Naruto immediately pegged him with another. This one didn't _quite _pack the same punch as the last, but it landed all the same. Kiritsugu absolutely twitched. He even tried to dodge, only for a clone to step out of the brush and clobber him with another sphere of snow. This of course led him into stumbling into yet another clone who promptly let him have it again. The cycle repeated itself for nearly a minute before the magus finally managed to roll out of their little circle and get to safety.

He swiped the snow from his face with the air of a man who had _entirely _enough of these shenanigans.

A grim grin had bloomed and he bent down to scoop up a fistful of compact snow. "So be it."

Naruto laughed and dove for cover when he snatched up a snowball of his own.

"NOPE! You'll never take me_ aliiive, _broody!"

He would remember this day.

All of it. Every second.

When everything fell apart, when life tore down his ideals and beliefs with nothing but scraps left behind, when everything was on fire and everyone was screaming around him, he would remember. He would hold to this memory like an old friend; he would cherish it like a lover, treasure it as the priceless gem that it was. He would fix this. He would find a way. Even they called him a monster, demon, devil, spawn of the blackest pit...he would find a way. This golden, glimmering moment was all that matters.

He would remember.

Even if everyone cursed him.

_Naruto swore he would remember._

**A/N: ****I own no references. None.**

**Gods this broke me a little, writing this.**

**I don't like writing angst scenes, in part because I'm a happy person.**

**While this chapter did end on a more pleasant note, its a harbinger of things to come.**

**There will be deaths in this chapter. Some good. Some bad. I won't say who, but its going to be a ride.**

**Pairing remains open, and that's that.**

**As you can see, Naruto has a plan to "help" but it may not end well. Or it could? Who knows? Everyone here knows just how twisted Fate Zero got by the end. But he's going to try and save the Emiya family, even if he catches hell for it. That's what our boy does. Pray he doesn't get corrupted in the process, because if he does...YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BAD TIME.**

**So lets clarify for all the confused readers out there here are the classes:**

**Kiritsugu = Naruto (SHIELDER)**

**Tokiomi = (ARCHER)**

**Kirei = (BERSERKER)**

**Ryunosuke = (RIDER)**

**Waver = (SABER)**

**Kayneth = (CASTER)**

**Kariya = (ASSASSIN)**

**That's right, no Lancer class in this war.**

**As ever, open spots are open votes~! Vote for any Servant you please. Make yourself heard!**

**I'm serious about this, everyone!Fire away with your reviews! Last chance!**

**Because the battle start next chapter, and so too do the deaths!**

**Again, this'll be gone in _two days_ if folks don't like it.**

**So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly?**

**And enjoy the previews!**

**I hope you're ready.**

**(Previews)**

_...I want to live."_

_Naruto nearly tripped over his own two feet._

_"I'm sorry," he turned toward Irisviel, "I could've sworn you just..._

* * *

_"Do you actually think your death created peace? Naive fool."_

_"I don't believe you." a muscle jumped in his jaw. "You have no proof."_

_In response, the Servant flung a book at him. He only narrowly caught it...and paled._

_"I know your history, Shielder. I read it." that cruel smile twisted further. "Your death gave birth to war."_

_"Shut up."_

_"A war that ended all wars. Your world BURNED because of your self-centered demise. There was nothing to stop them."_

_"No! You're lying."_

**_"YOU KILLED YOUR WORLD!"_**

* * *

_"You think you can save everyone? Idiot! Move!"_

_Pain flashed across Shielder's face, obliterating an ear._

_Assassin roared. "This avails you nothing! Move! Now! Or I'll make you!"_

_Naruto barely blinked. "No. I won't stop my Noble Phantasm. You're staying right here."_

* * *

_Pale hands closed around his face as she kissed his forehead._

_"Please don't die, Shielder."_

**R&R~!**


	3. A Most Unlikely Arrival (Prelude)

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of length here, its the best I could do at the moment given the sheer time crunch of two jobs...**

**Rest assured, that the other updates-for more than just my Fate stuff!-will be muuuuuuuuch longer.**

** *EDIT***

**Well.**

**Been awhile, hasn't it?**

**Now then, I can explain my absence; due in no small part to life itself.**

**FGO's had me by the throat for some time, but I've finally gotten to the point where I can set it aside. Still, I've gotten everything I want so far and don't really feel a need to roll until the end of the year. I've completely beaten the game for the time being. That aside, I've also been very sick; thus, I**** took some time off to recover and bring my health back to full muster, such as it is. Now,**** despite SOME trolls/people still flinging curses at me, hoping that I'll die, I'm back. **

**Now then, time for the updates!**

**So here we are. Thank you for your patience and time.**

**I'll do my best to entertain you all until my last breath. For I am a writer.**

**And that is what writers do, is it not? Their duty is not to themselves, but to others. **

**As to mine...I want to use this gift to make people happy. That's about the long and short of if. Now, then. Onward~!**

**On another note, you REALLY don't want to see this Naruto get corrupted. The purest ones are always capable of the worst when angry...**

**Also, heavy references to Yu Yu Hakusho in here. As ever, I don't own jack~!**

**I'm sorry that this is short, but think of it as a spark; a prelude of sorts to the sheer amount of updates that will be arriving in the coming days.**

_"I find that pain to be an excellent motivator. The pain of losing a loved one, the pain of a lost limb..._

_...the threat of imminent death is another such example._

_So get moving. Clock's ticking."_

_~?_

**A Most Unlikely Arrival (Prelude to Disaster)**

_Planes were hell._

Naruto came to this insurmountable conclusion only a few hours into his flight; indeed, by the time the plane began began its final descent he was all but scaling the walls, snarling for an escape. The idea of being trapped in some flying tin can thousands of meters above ground was terrifying enough on its own, but when one considered the sheer breadth of things that could go wrong...well. Uncomfortable didn't even begin to describe the sheer horror of what he was experiencing. This wasn't an enemy he could fight, wasn't a foe he could possibly hope to strangle.

This was just something he had to endure.

Throw in pinch of awkward tension between him and Irisiviel, then the fact that he was all but forced to sit beside said homonculus...well. It nearly drove him mad. The hadn't spoken so much as two words to one another since his last outburst; although that brief snowball fight had elicited chaos and laughter alike, neither dared to speak to the other. Occasionally he would catch her stealing glances at him out of the corner of his eye, but even then, she refused to speak. And for the life of him, he couldn't decide what to say, either. He'd already made his decision. She would hate him for it. So he kept his cards close to his chest, grit his teeth, and silently counted down the hours until they'd arrive in Fuyuki City.

He understood Kiritsugu's methods; yet he rejected them all the same.

If someone had to be the sacrifice, if someone had to die, then it should be him.

Irisviel didn't deserve to go out like that. To just...dissolve. By the log, it was enough to drive a man absolutely mad.

As such, when their plane finally landed, Naruto didn't bother to follow the rest of the passengers; you see, by then his blood was well and truly up. As such, he wasn't thinking straight. Rather than using the door like any sane Servant, he took one look out the window and promptly smashed right through it like a bull in a china shop; puncturing the plane's shell threw himself onto the tarmac. A series of startled shouts greeted him, but try as he might, the young blond couldn't bring himself to care. He didn't. Nope! Not at all!

_Because!_

"LAND~!" he all but slammed his head into the dirty asphalt with this cry of utter bliss. "Oh, sweet_ terra firma!_ How I missed you! I swear I'll never leave you again!"

Clad in a simple black suit, the wayward shield was sure he must look quite the sight this afternoon as he pressed his forehead against the warm ground like a drowning man clutching at a raft. Nevertheless, he found himself intensely thankful to be on solid earth once again. Screw the knowledge the grail had given him! He was never riding on a plane again! EVER!

Unfortunately, in his wild haste to escape that crude metal coffin, he'd made something of a...miscalculation.

You see, his little spectacle hadn't gone unnoticed by the passengers; indeed, everyone _had _noticed; because this wasn't the sort of thing you missed. Indeed, you couldn't miss it. When he finally raised his head and took a standing position, every man, woman and child, flight attendant, and even the pilots themselves; all of them were gaping at him through a decidedly Naruto-shaped hole in their plane. He could even see Irisviel a ways back palming her face in silent chagrin. Whoops? Despite his best efforts to remain stoic, the young man found himself at a loss for words.

...sorry?"

Irisviel didn't walk down the ramp. She didn't even acknowledge its existence. Not in the least; instead she outright _vaulted_ through the hole he'd made-even stuck the landing too!-and dashed toward him in a hurricane of motion. Huh. He hadn't thought someone could move that fast-owowowowOW! That was his ear she was pulling! Still, despite the sharp sting of pain, he allowed her to drag him away and stumbled after her all the same; if only because it gave her a much-needed chance to blow off steam. And if it meant he had to play the fool for a little while longer...well...

"What were you thinking?!"

...he'd always been damned good at faking a smile.

"Hey?! I'm sorry, alright?!" he laughed despite himself as his interim Master hauled him around a corner. "Ouch! I won't do that again, I swear! You can let go now!"

Cold red eyes gazed back at him in silent admonishment and despite his best efforts, the Servant sighed softly as a secondary twinge of pain shot down the side of his head. Still, he knew he had her; those angry scarlet orbs softened and not a moment later, the iron grip on the side of his head slackened. Just as quickly, she released him.

"Good. So long as you understand."

Unfortunately for her, Naruto had come to a different conclusion.

In his mind, he thought that Irisviel meant they needed to get away from_ here;_ away from the scene he'd caused, away from people, and more aptly, away from the security team now headed their way. Also unfortunate, was the manner in which he chose to go about this. Perhaps that was his own unique brand of Madness Enhancement at work; perhaps he deliberately chose to misinterpret orders. Who can say? It didn't change the end result; nay, if anything it only enhanced the effect.

Irisviel absolutely squeaked as her Servant swept her up in his arms and bolted down the tarmac. "Naruto, stop! What are you doing?!"

"Running! What else?!"

Just like that, the ice between them was broken once again; their argument wholly forgotten in the haste of their escape.

Neither noticed the silent shadow that detached itself from the plane and followed in their wake.

Not the small, bemused smile it wore, nor their familiar blazing blue eyes.

Whistling softly, the Servant waltzed after them.

...let the games begin."

**A/N: Well, I did warn you guys.**

**The main villain in this series is about to rear their head.**

**While this chapter did end on a more pleasant note, its a harbinger of things to come.**

**There will be deaths in this chapter. Some good. Some bad. I won't say who, but its going to be a ride.**

**Pairing remains open, and that's that.**

**As you can see, Naruto has a plan to "help" but it may not end well. Or it could? Who knows? Everyone here knows just how twisted Fate Zero got by the end. But he's going to try and save the Emiya family, even if he catches hell for it. That's what our boy does. Pray he doesn't get corrupted in the process, because if he does...YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A BAD TIME.**

**So lets clarify for all the confused readers out there here are the classes:**

**Kiritsugu = Naruto (SHIELDER)**

**Tokiomi = (ARCHER)**

**Kirei = (BERSERKER)**

**Ryunosuke = (RIDER)**

**Waver = (SABER)**

**Kayneth = (CASTER)**

**Kariya = (ASSASSIN)**

**No Lancer As ever, open spots are open votes~! Vote for any Servant you please. Make yourself heard!**

**I'm serious about this, everyone!Fire away with your reviews! Last chance!**

**Because the battles begin next chapter, and so too do the deaths!**

**Again, this'll be gone in _two days_ if folks don't like it.**

**So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly?**

**And enjoy the previews!**

**I hope you're ready.**

**(Previews)**

_"I will do whatever it takes to save them." his hand tore free from his foe's chest with a red squelch, bringing their heart with it." Even if I dye myself in blackened mud. Even if my spirit origin breaks."_

_"I have to, at least, save them."_

_...you're insane."_

_Shielder spit._

_"And?"_

**R&R~!**


End file.
